Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Lawns

5-9-06 SHORT HILLS: I did a bit more trimming and pruning [T&P], gave more HollyTone to shrubs with a peaked look, used MiracleGro on some pale and tired azaleas, and weeded more garlic mustard. I think its all gone for the moment.

Grass is actually filling in and flowering and all the weeds are popping up in the lawn: plantain, strawberry, gill-over-ground, dandelion, onion grass, moss and whatever, anything that survives mowing. These are the mark of a no herbicide lawn. A healthy lawn. Our neighborhood is full of lawns without a single weed. It takes toxic chemicals to do that. They probably kill earthworms, beneficial insects and perhaps injure dogs and cats. The pets live closer to the ground than we do and sniff in anything on the grass. Do they effect humans? I lime and water the lawn and occasionally fertilize, but never use pesticides or herbicides. I think it makes for a much more interesting ground cover than all that perfect grass. My motto: Perfection eschewed always.